UK NEWS

Grinding machine installed at Border Ballistics

Master Abrasives has installed a Micromatic Eco 200 grinding machine at the facility of Border Ballistics Technologies (BBT) in Scotland.

Geoffrey Kolbe, managing director of BBT, has been in the non-military gun trade for over 25 years, establishing the company in 2015 to fill a gap in the UK market. The company is a manufacturer of gunsmith tooling such as chamber reamers and headspace gauges, all of which are produced with high-quality finishes and precision.
“In line with market demand we needed to increase our production output,” says Kolbe. “We identified that by taking the basic blank preparation operations off our tool and cutter grinder, productivity would increase with the introduction of a manual/semi-automatic cylindrical grinding machine. The Micromatic Eco 200 supplied by Master Abrasives proved to be the ideal machine for this purpose, and the price was very reasonable too.
“The production of special purpose bespoke stepped reamers and headspace gauges in tool steel demands very tight tolerances on specific dimensional features such as outer diameters, angles and faces,” he continues. “The Eco 200 manual/semi-automatic hydraulic machine fulfilled our requirements perfectly. Its introduction into production will improve our manufacturing lead-times and contribute to lower production costs.”
The new machine at BBT has a 400 mm grinding capacity between centres and an additional internal grinding spindle. The wheel-head’s nitride hardened steel spindle runs in precision multi-point hydrodynamic bearings, a configuration that gives very
high rigidity and damping.
“Master Abrasives provided a very professional service from start to finish,” says Kolbe. “The machine was delivered on time and was up and running within a couple of days.”
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk

Cleaning up

When Carrickfergus-based die-casting manufacturer Ryobi Aluminium Castings required the highest levels of cleanliness in the production of a vehicle oil pan for an international luxury vehicle manufacturer, it turned to MecWash for help.

MecWash provided two Solo machines and a stand-alone vacuum chamber to clean and dry the oil pan product. Working with MecWash’s in-house chemist and laboratory, the company also ensured the detergents used in the process matched requirements. The success of the solution meant Ryobi has since invested in two further systems.
For further information www.mecwash.co.uk

£16.5m hot-forging facility announced

The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) has secured £16.5m of funding to establish an advanced hot-forging facility.

FutureForge, as it will be named, will adjoin the existing Renfrewshire-based centre and help generate around £40m of new collaborative R&D projects over 10 years, creating up to 34 new jobs. Set to begin operating in 2020, FutureForge will be the world’s most advanced hot-forging research platform and include a one-of-a-kind, industry 4.0-ready demonstrator. The facility will enable the AFRC to work with companies to increase their global competitiveness.
For further information www.strath.ac.uk/research

Welcome evening at Matsuura

Matsuura Machinery Ltd recently held a welcome evening for the four successful candidates who comprise the company’s next intake of technical apprentices.

Their families were also welcomed along to find out more about Matsuura and the staff who will guide their sons through their time at the company. Long-serving members of staff from each department spent time with the young recruits and their families, providing them with a good understanding of Matsuura, its products and customers.
For further information www.matsuura.co.uk

Schunk introduces new general manager

After 18 years at the helm of Schunk Intec Ltd, Martin Kent has stepped down from his role as general manager to allow Marcel Machado to take the reins. Machado arrives from machine tool and plastic injection moulding specialist Romi Machine Tools.

Commenting upon his new position, Machado says: “The opportunity to work with a global brand like Schunk was too good to miss. Roles of such magnitude are generally only available when a company is in difficulty. However, Martin has done a fantastic job in growing the UK business, which is yielding year-on-year growth.
“Thankfully, Martin will be staying with Schunk in a managerial role and his expertise and support as we go forward will be critical to our continued success,” continues Machado. “My personal challenge is to keep a consistent pace of growth and intensify our efforts with regard to targeting new market segments and building new relationships and sales networks.”.
For further information www.gb.schunk.com